Unincorporated Fillmore County, Nebraska requires a county building permit and zoning approval for new construction and structures larger than 100 square feet12. Cities and villages may administer their own building permits and zoning, but Nebraska remains the septic-permit authority throughout Fillmore County34. The county performs a zoning-compliance inspection before issuing a required certificate of occupancy; a separate residential building-code inspection schedule could not be confirmed56.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Required for new construction and structures over 100 square feet1
- Zoning
- Yes in the county's defined rural and unincorporated jurisdiction2
- Septic
- State Title 124 rules; qualifying systems need construction and operating permits47
- RV living
- Not confirmed; ask the county Zoning Office8
- Tiny homes
- Local approval controls; manufactured homes are allowed conditionally in residential districts9
- Owner-builder
- Exempt from contractor registration on own property, not from permits1011
- County-road driveway
- Permission required before installation12
Who to call
Zoning
Fillmore County Planning and Zoning
Zoning permits, zoning information and property-change questions in Fillmore County's jurisdiction
1320 G Street, Geneva, Nebraska 68361
Septic permits
Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment — Onsite Wastewater Program
Statewide onsite wastewater standards, professional certification, system registration and permits for systems needing site-specific review
245 Fallbrook Blvd. Suite 100 Lincoln, NE 68521
Roads & driveways
Fillmore County Department of Roads
County-road access driveways and work on or adjacent to county roadways
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Fillmore County means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
- Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
- Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
- Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
- Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.
These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.
Do you need a building permit in Fillmore County, Nebraska?
Fillmore County requires a building permit and zoning approval for all new construction and structures larger than 100 square feet in the county zoning jurisdiction1314. Structures under 100 square feet do not need a zoning permit but still must meet setbacks13. A building-permit application requires two identical plan sets, including a plot plan, footing detail, wall detail, roof detail and floor plan; construction cannot begin before approval15. The zoning permit fee is $25 per parcel or location, and the published full-subdivision fee is $5016. Covered buildings, structures and land uses also need a certificate of occupancy, with an exception for primarily agricultural use17. The Zoning Administrator examines the site for zoning compliance before issuing that certificate, but a separate residential building-code inspection schedule could not be confirmed5.
Who issues building permits in Fillmore County, and how do you reach them?
Fillmore County Planning and Zoning issues county building and zoning permits in the county's rural jurisdiction118. Reach the office at 402-759-4982 or zoning@fillmorecountyne.gov, or visit 1320 G Street, Geneva, Nebraska 6836118. The Zoning Administrator must decide a complete application within 30 days, and a written appeal is due within 10 days after the determination is filed19. Fillmore County does not administer zoning inside Geneva, and other incorporated communities may administer their own building permits and zoning; confirm the parcel's jurisdiction before applying3. Septic permits do not shift to a city building office: the Nebraska Onsite Wastewater Program administers the state rules throughout Fillmore County420. The County Highway Superintendent's office separately approves county-road driveway access before installation12.
Does Fillmore County have zoning?
Fillmore County zoning applies in its rural and unincorporated planning jurisdiction, excluding the one-mile planning jurisdictions of Exeter, Fairmont, Geneva, Grafton, Milligan, Ohiowa and Shickley; county jurisdiction reaches Strang's corporate limits21. The official zoning map is maintained by the County Clerk, and district-specific rules control each parcel22. An AG-1 single-family home generally needs a 3-acre lot and has separation requirements from other single-family homes23. An R-2 single-family lot may be 5,000 square feet with public or community water and sewer, but the minimum rises to 3 acres when both systems are private24. Setbacks are district-specific; the AG-1 front yard is 25 feet from the established road right-of-way25. R-1 single-family dwellings have a 35-foot height limit, while AG-1 lists no height limit for its table categories, subject to supplemental rules2627.
How do septic permits work in Fillmore County?
Nebraska's Onsite Wastewater Program administers statewide Title 124 requirements for systems throughout Fillmore County, including addresses inside cities and villages; additional local requirements may apply28. Many ordinary systems proceed under state compliance and registration rules, while systems with large size, non-domestic waste or siting issues can require site-specific review2920. When a Title 124 permit application is required, obtain the septic construction permit before building; registration, applicable fees and engineer certification must precede the operating permit, which is required before discharge or use30. State representatives may inspect, sample and monitor affected areas, but we could not confirm a routine pre-occupancy septic inspection for every system31. Only about 3.1% of Fillmore County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so arrange a parcel-specific evaluation before fixing the house and drain-field locations32.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Fillmore County?
We could not confirm a Fillmore County rule that plainly allows or prohibits long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping on private land or tiny-home occupancy. Ask Planning and Zoning whether the proposed use is allowed in the parcel's district and whether it needs zoning approval or a certificate of occupancy18. Nebraska classifies tiny houses as manufactured homes, modular housing units or recreational vehicles, but classification does not override local land-use approval33. A park-model recreational vehicle is designed for temporary living and cannot be permanently affixed as a permanent dwelling33. County regulations impose standards on manufactured homes outside mobile-home parks, but the available material does not resolve all of those standards9. The confirmed 900-square-foot minimum applies specifically to manufactured homes outside mobile-home parks, not every dwelling type34. Ask Planning and Zoning for a written district-specific answer before buying a small-home site18.
Building a home in Fillmore County: the steps, in order
- Confirm whether the parcel is in Fillmore County's rural zoning jurisdiction or a community's planning area1435.
- Ask Fillmore County Planning and Zoning at 402-759-4982 to confirm the district, allowed use, lot size, setbacks and height rules183626.
- Have an onsite professional evaluate the wastewater site, then ask the Nebraska Onsite Wastewater Program whether the design needs septic construction and operating permits720.
- Obtain a floodplain development permit before work in a covered floodplain area37.
- Obtain county driveway approval before installing access from the county highway road system12.
- Submit the building-permit plans and zoning-approval materials, pay the zoning permit fee and wait for approval before construction1516.
- Obtain the required certificate of occupancy before initial or continued occupancy or use38.
What should you check before buying land in Fillmore County?
Start with jurisdiction, zoning district, lot size, legal access, floodplain status and wastewater feasibility before committing to a Fillmore County parcel339124032. A division into multiple building lots may trigger subdivision review, so discuss the proposed split with Planning and Zoning before closing4118. Fillmore County is sparsely settled at about 9.6 people per square mile, and the nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 52 miles from the county center4243. Farmland averages about $7,359 per acre in the cited agricultural data, while the typical home value is about $188,6454445. A licensed water-well contractor generally must register wells with the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, but a separate construction permit for every domestic well could not be confirmed46.
Watch-outs
- Fillmore County requires a building permit and zoning approval for new construction and structures larger than 100 square feet; smaller structures remain subject to setbacks13.
- Fillmore County does not administer zoning inside Geneva, and incorporated communities may run their own building permits and zoning; Nebraska still administers septic requirements throughout the county34.
- Only about 3.1% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, making an early site evaluation especially valuable32.
- Long-term RV living, private-land camping and tiny-home occupancy could not be confirmed; ask Fillmore County Planning and Zoning at 402-759-4982 before buying for one of those uses18.
Sources
- Planning and Zoning FAQs – Fillmore County, quoted and re-checked
- Forms, Permits and Regulations – Fillmore County, quoted and re-checked
- Forms, Permits and Regulations – Fillmore County, quoted and re-checked
- Owner Construction/Operating Permit Checklist, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Owner Construction/Operating Permit Checklist, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations (2026 county census)
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Nebraska Revised Statute 48-2104 — Registration required (2026 county census)
- Nebraska Revised Statute 48-2104 — Registration required (Nebraska statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Policies and Permits – Fillmore County, quoted and re-checked
- Planning and Zoning FAQs – Fillmore County, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Planning and Zoning FAQs – Fillmore County, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Fees – Fillmore County, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Planning and Zoning (fillmorecountyne.gov)
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment — Onsite Wastewater Program (dwee.nebraska.gov)
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations – 2013, updated wind and solar provisions, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations - 2013, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations - 2013, quoted and re-checked
- Planning and Zoning FAQs – Fillmore County, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations - 2013, quoted and re-checked
- Owner Construction/Operating Permit Checklist, quoted and re-checked
- Onsite Wastewater Program (Nebraska statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Owner Construction/Operating Permit Checklist, quoted and re-checked
- Title 124 Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
- Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
- Housing and Recreational Vehicle (Nebraska statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations – 2013, updated wind and solar provisions, quoted and re-checked
- Forms, Permits and Regulations – Fillmore County, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations - 2013, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Floodplain Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations – 2013, updated wind and solar provisions, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Fillmore County Planning & Zoning Subdivision Requirements, quoted and re-checked
- Population density: Bolthole Index county data
- Straight-line distance from the county center to the nearest city of 100,000+ people: Bolthole Index county data
- Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data
- Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
- dhhs.ne.gov, quoted and re-checked
Written October 9, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.